Apparatus for calibrating pressure gauges



March 23, 1954 w. G. GREEN APPARATUS FOR CALIBRATING PRESSURE GAUGES Filed May 9, 1951 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS from the knowledge of the with the electrical Patented Mar. 23, 1954 William G. Green,

Pwwam New 911% flpplicationiltlay ii, 1951, S

1 This invention relates to apparatus or .calibrating fluid pressure gages and more particularly to an apparatus :forcalibrating a fluid pressure gage by the direct Weighrittggf the pressure applied to the gage. The idea of calibrating thapressuregage .by directly weighing-the pressureanplied toflthejgage is not new and the inventionlhene'involved relates rather to a specific ponstructionffor the accomplishment of this tvpe are; ge'baiibrationjg at er than to ,any broad principle. Tnejspeeifiepbnstruction here illustrated and described .has' been found to .be particularlyfeificient and accurate and therefore desirable. However, inspite oi. the fact that this invention is concerned witha specific construction, it willlat on'cejbje apparent *to those skilled ,in the r nnet fa number p: modifications may "be madelwithout'departingfrom th spirit and win 91 th $Ji enf One of the more importantfeaturesof thisin- Denison, l en, m n mg (lorn-pl n sai kku it a A i i e m-We As illustrated inFigmze .1, dzhe device ,of this invention'is buitt :upon .arba-se :plate which-is adapted to be supported :fromzanysuitable suriaceib'y apairb'fdfixed legs I l' anddz and anadjustabflefleg II, which as illustrated, is a thumb screw extending through the base :plate 10- :and bearing a ainst the supporting surface. level '14 may be mounted on theL base-pIate toga-id in adjusting ithebase ppiateizto arlevel position so that 'the operation of the device will-glue 'zun-iiorm whenfit is move'd from lone place-to :another;

Upon the base plate i150 mounted a "vertically extending cylinderflfi preferably :ofusome sorter plastic so that the operation 40f the parts'xinside can be seen. A number of holes I 6 are preferably drilled' i'ri thfisicylinder 115 so that or, other gas vention is the application of the pressuref 'to be weighed to thes'eat offa ball vaivesema the pressure will act to lift the ball." -'-I'he ba';ll]-is 'then weighted by resting a tal-ibrating weight table freely upon it andywh-en "-p'ressiire is applied swim ,cient to raise the tan fromitsr'sealtfithelexact amount of pressurecanbe-accurately determined area mi t/he :bal-l which is exposed to the pressure plus a lmowledge of #the exact weightof the ball and'pa srest'ingiUpomit.

A further important feature-10f th isiinvention'is theme of an electrical circuit extending through the ball and its seat to determine when the ball is lifted from "its seat by the"pressure.' A still further important featurecofttlrisjinvention is the use of a pair of thin, multiple-slotted plates as 1 anti-friction guides table.

Other details and advantages of thisdnvention will be apparent from thefollowing detai C! dofor, t e calibrating. weight scription of the drawings which illustrate tjhe preferred embodiment.

In'the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side ielevational view of a device constructed in accordance with this invention, trated.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 1 with certain parts in section to more clearly illustrate their construction.

Figure 3 is a plan view, in section, of the construction shown in Figure 1, the view being taken on lines 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the slotted guide plates used in the construction shown in Figure 1.

,pircuit thematically illu'sthe" disc; -Progressingfinweirdly the-next air 30f small metal'monnectionsflfi a'nu eo used' in the calibration niay easily escape. The cylinder l 5 may he -ifastened to ithe basevplate H! by any suitable inea'nsk At thej top of "thewcylinder1'5 there is 'placed a very thin,imultipl-e-slotted disc I 1. On top of this disc is placed a short cylinder or ring of plastic materi-al imandthe'n on top of 1 th is shor t cylinderi ortring;iwhich serves ras a s e er r ing,* placedi anothertthin, rmultipleslotted insets which-is-Jthe same-as zo'r similar-to disc FIT. "The two ligand iliB and the spacer Ting I-8 --'ar '-alheld on top of the :main cylinder 5 by series f 'maohme screws 120 athat extend thrugh the top disc flfithenspacer ring fliB, the "bottom disc i;1- fandin the'cy rider-t5).

By jreferenoe to'j ifi i r'e i l he. seen that the inulti sldtted d l and [Stare provided with' a ser e er-m 22near theiruouter edges to re'cei-ve the iastenjingscrews 20 and :are then provided wit a series of arcuate slotssso arranged ,thattiie center or the disc will be. held against 'radial moveinent-in any direction but willlbe quite free forf-axia1;;movement. "Thus, 'there are two enter" arcuate slots} 23 and 2 :which together almost completely encircle the disc and leaveronly the small metal conne fans 25 and 26 to connect er*partfiofthe disc with the outer part of Lare offset from the first-mentioned small metal connections 25 and 28. Then, again, a third pair of slots still further frees the center of the disc for axial movement.

In the very center of the disc is an opening 32 and when the device is assembled a vertical rod 33 extends through the opening 32 in the center of each of the two multi-slotted guide discs I1 and I9. This rod 33 is threaded where On the lower end of the rod 33, there is permanently mounted a ball cage 42 in which there is contained a ball valve 43. The ball valve is loosely held in the cage so that it is free for rotation and free for any movement that is necessary for it to seat firmly on a ball seat 44 which is positioned immediately beneath it. When the ball valve 43 is positioned on the seat the cage 42 rests loosely on. top of the ball so, that the ball thus supports the calibrating weight table and the calibrating weight.

The valve seat 44 and the ball valve 43 are carefully fitted so as to assure a minimum of leakage when the valve is closed. The ball seat is a part of a tubular member 45 which extends through the base plate 10 and then along the underside of the base plate i where it is fastenedby clamps 46 and 41. From this point suitable connections are made to a pressure gage 48 which is undergoing test to an already calibrated pressure gage as, used for general comparison, and to a source of pressure (not shown).

No efiort has been made to show accurately or in detail the particular connections to the two pressure gages or to the source of pressure for this may vary widely in different installations and is well within the skill of those familiar with the art.

The device as thus far described can be satisiactorily used to calibrate pressure gages, for the unseating of the ball on its seat can be observed both by its motion and by the slight loss of pressure. However, for very accurate work it is desirable to include in the device an electrical circuit such as-is schematically shown in Figure 1. This circuit extends, from the valve seat 44 through a portion of the pressure tubing 45, then through a conductor 50 to one end of a battery From the other end of the battery 51, the circuit extends through a resistor 52 and an ammeter or galvanometer 53 to a conductor 51% which connects it to the lower guide plate ll. From this guide plate I! the circuit extends through the rod 33 and the cage 42 to the ball valve 43 so that the circuit is completed when the ball valve rests on the seat 44 but is broken when the ball valve is lifted by pressure from this seat.

As previously stated, the present invention resides to a considerable extent in the specific construction herein disclosed, but numerous modifications can be made within the scope of this invention. For example, a calibrating weight supporting platform may be suspended below table may rest whatever calialignment therewith, a cage surrounding said ball valve and retaining said ball valve against .independent vertical movement and against horizontal movement but permitting free rotary movement of said ball valve to insure accurate seating against said valve seat, a rod attached to and projecting upward from said cage, 2. calibrating weight table mounted on the upper end of said rod, a selectively variable weight on said table,'a tubular member containing said valve seat at its upper end connected to a pressure source at its opposite end, means for connecting a pressure gage to be tested to said tubular member and a second standard pressure gage connected to said tubular member between said valve seat and said pressure source, a horizontally supported vertically extending cylinder surrounding said valve seat and said cage, a pair of vertically spaced flexible discs associated with the top of said cylinder and attached to said rod, said discs including a series of concentric pairs of arcuate slots, each pair of said slots being offset from the next successive pair to permit vertical movements of said discs with said rod whereby pressure in said tubular member will raise said ball valve and associated members including said cage, rod, discs, and table off said valve seat in a vertical direction when the pressure exceeds the combined resistance of said associated members and said selectively variable weight.

2. An apparatus for calibrating pressure gages as defined in claim 1 wherein said tubular member, valve seat, ball valve and associated members are all made of conducting material, and wherein an electric circuit is attached to one end to one of said discs and at the other end to said tubular member, and said circuit comprising an ammeter, a resistance, and a power source, whereby said circuit is broken when said ball valve raises off said valve seat.

WILLIAM G. GREEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS 

